When Lewandowski stops playing, Poland will face difficulties

Portugal is set to visit Poland this Saturday, in what promises to be an intriguing encounter as part of the third matchday of Group A1 in the Nations League.

The Portuguese national team, winners of the inaugural edition in 2019, will face a Polish side that remains heavily reliant on the influence of their captain and talisman, Robert Lewandowski. According to Leonardo Rocha, the current top scorer in the Polish championship, Lewandowski continues to be a vital figure for Poland.

Rocha, who plays for Radomiak Radom and has made a name for himself in Poland’s Ekstraklasa, emphasized how crucial Lewandowski is for the Polish national team. "He is probably the greatest player in their history, and the national team depends a lot on him. He might be able to continue at a high level for another two or three years, but when he stops playing, Poland will face difficulties because it’s not easy to find a striker of his caliber," said Rocha in an interview with the Lusa agency.

This dependence on Lewandowski is evident as Poland navigates through a transitional period, attempting to build a new generation of players while still leaning on their seasoned veterans. Lewandowski, the 35-year-old forward currently playing for Barcelona, has made 154 international appearances and scored 84 goals for Poland, making him their all-time top scorer and a crucial figure in their attack. Despite his age, his performances remain decisive, and Poland continues to rely on his leadership and goal-scoring abilities.

Portugal’s match against Poland will take place at the National Stadium in Warsaw, a venue known for its passionate atmosphere. The game is set for 8:45 PM local time (7:45 PM in Lisbon), and Portugal is expected to approach the game with their usual intent to dominate possession and dictate the tempo. "The Portuguese national team is respected worldwide, and their opponents tend to wait and see what will happen. I don’t think Poland will recklessly launch counterattacks because there is a lot of quality on the other side. Portugal will look to dominate, but Poland is playing at home, and it certainly won’t be an easy game," noted Rocha.

Portugal leads Group A1 with six points after securing narrow 2-1 victories over Croatia and Scotland in their first two matchdays. Croatia and Poland both have three points, while Scotland has yet to pick up a point. With the top two teams from the group advancing to the quarterfinals, this match holds significant importance for both sides.

Leonardo Rocha believes Portugal is well-positioned to advance and go far in the competition. "With the quality Portugal has, there should be no problem advancing and going further in the competition. Croatia and Poland are the toughest opponents, but Croatia still has a very strong generation, perhaps slightly ahead of Poland," he explained.

Rocha, 27, has been in fine form this season, scoring nine goals in 10 matches for Radomiak Radom in the 2024/25 Polish league, and his insights into the Polish football scene offer a unique perspective on the national team’s current state. He pointed out that while Poland is integrating younger players into their squad, they still rely heavily on experienced figures like Jan Bednarek, Piotr Zielinski, Krzysztof Piatek, and Lewandowski, who have been part of the national setup for several years.

The upcoming match will be the first time Portugal and Poland have faced each other in the Nations League since their double-header six years ago, where Portugal secured a 3-2 victory in Chorzów and a 1-1 draw in Guimarães. This year, Poland will be looking to take advantage of playing at home, although Rocha acknowledges that facing Portugal is never easy. "They are calling up younger players to try to build a new generation. They’ve been renewing the squad, but they still have experienced players with a lot of international quality," said the Portuguese striker, adding that Lewandowski remains "one of the best strikers in the world right now and possibly top 10 in football history."

The match also represents a chance for Poland to move past their disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, where they were eliminated in the group stage. Following that exit, veteran players such as Wojciech Szczesny and Kamil Grosicki retired from international duty, marking the end of an era. The team’s new coach, Michal Probierz, who took over from former Portuguese coach Fernando Santos in September 2023, has been tasked with guiding the team through this transition while incorporating younger, agile, and skillful players into the squad.

Poland’s domestic league, the Ekstraklasa, continues to produce talents that often earn call-ups to the national team, further emphasizing the importance of developing homegrown players. "Players from the Polish league who are performing well are usually called up. There is a lot of connection and closeness. Of course, certain positions are filled by world-class players, but there are always three, four, or five representatives from the Ekstraklasa," Rocha pointed out.

As the anticipation for the match builds, Leonardo Rocha is hoping to attend the game with some of his fellow compatriots from Radomiak, including coach Bruno Baltazar and teammates Paulo Henrique, Bruno Jordão, and Francisco Ramos. The National Stadium in Warsaw, located nearly 100 kilometers from Radom, holds a special significance as it was inaugurated in 2012 with a friendly match between Poland and Portugal, which ended in a 0-0 draw in preparation for the European Championship that year.

Rocha, reflecting on the passion for football in Poland, shared his admiration for the country’s fans. "I’ve learned that the fans in this country have a deep love for football. I’ve never seen the national team play in Warsaw, but I was there for the UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atalanta, and there were a lot of Poles in the stands. That stadium is enormous, an incredible place. It will be beautiful if the stands are packed with people singing, but it’s nothing the Portuguese players aren’t used to at this level," he concluded.

As the match approaches, all eyes will be on how both teams handle the pressure, with Portugal looking to solidify their dominance in the group and Poland hoping to rely on Lewandowski's magic once again.